1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to musical instruments and, more particularly, to a mounting assembly for a pick-up on a stringed musical instrument.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, stringed musical instruments such as an electric guitar have electromagnetic sensors or pick-ups for sensing mechanical vibrations of the strings and converting such into electrical signals. The electrical signals from the electromagnetic sensors or pick-ups are amplified and modified and, ultimately, reconverted into acoustical energy to produce music and the like.
An example of such an electromagnetic sensor or pick-up is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,578, issued Mar. 7, 1989, entitled "Magnetic Field Shaping In An Acoustic Pick-up Assembly" the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. This patented pick-up assembly includes an elongated ferromagnetic case lined on the interior thereof with planar permanent magnet pieces to present the same magnetic polarity into the interior thereof. The patented pick-up assembly also includes cores disposed in the interior of the case and having a plurality of coplanar, spaced, finger-like projections directed at the walls of the case. The walls and projections are permanently magnetized to a common magnetic polarity which will concentrate by magnetic repulsion flux into gaps between the projections. A coil is wound around the cores and the flux changes of these concentrated flux fields due to string motion induce a voltage in the coil. The coil has terminals connected to a socket in the stringed musical instrument for connection to an amplifier and speaker system.
Conventionally, various mounting systems have been provided for pick-ups. However, these mounting systems suffer from the disadvantage that vibrations through the mounting system may interfere with the sensing of the mechanical vibrations of the strings by the pick-up. Consequently, there is a need in the art to provide a mounting assembly which can acoustically isolate the pick-up from its mounting structure.
Additionally, conventional mounting systems suffer from the disadvantage of "microphonics" when the pick-up is mounted on a stringed musical instrument such as a guitar. When the strings are plucked, the vibratory motion of the strings reverberates throughout the body of the guitar. As a result, the coil of the pick-up may be mechanically shaken or vibrated so that some of the coil windings move with respect to each other. Such movement will cross some of the magnetic flux lines and induce an electro-motive force (EMF) or electrical signal into the pick-up which is different than that which is induced therein by the movement of the strings. Such mechanically-induced electrical signals fall into the broad category of what is termed "microphonics". Microphonics are highly undesirable in such a situation because it is not part of the "sound" produced by the plucking of the strings by the musician, and is considered, for the most part, as "noise".
Consequently, musicians which play stringed musical instruments are ever desirous of having pick-ups which incorporate greater sensitivity to the full range of acoustic energy generated by the movement of such strings. Such greater sensitivity often requires a balancing of the overall sensitivity of the pick-up and the attenuation of extraneous noise, whether electrically or by mechanical vibrations. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a mounting system which virtually eliminates microphonics and the other adverse effects of mechanical and/or acoustic vibrations and allows the use of an acoustic pick-up with greater sensitivity.